I think we’ll all agree that you can’t just walk in to any hair salon to get your highlights done. This goes for anywhere in the world, but I would say especially in Asia where highlights are not so common.

We all get so attached to our hair stylists back home, which makes it really hard to walk into another salon and trust a complete stranger. For four years in Dublin , I would go to the same hair stylist, every single time. If she wasn’t available, I would wait. The time when she took three weeks holiday nearly killed me, but I still waited, because us ladies are quite particular about our hair and it’s quite important to find a stylist you can really trust.

I was surprised when in Singapore, I walked into a well known, established salon and sat down to get my highlights touched up. My hair was in bad need of care at the time and I had read that this salon was one of the leading salons in Singapore so I was taken back when I was informed that they couldn’t do my hair, as the salon didn’t have products suitable for caucasians. Actually, they were worried they would burn my hair as their standard chemical would be too strong for me. Naturally I was a shocked at the prospect and imaged myself walking out of there like I had put my finger in an electricity socket.

I was very grateful for their honesty, of course, but it came as a surprise as Singapore has so many expats. It got me thinking that a lot more research would need to be done on where the best hair salons in Kuala Lumper where that I could get my highlights.

When I returned back to Kuala Lumpur, I started looking into the best salons in the city. I asked friends, took to Google, and looked for advice from my followers, and through all my research, Centro Salon in Gardens, Mid Valley kept floating to the top of the list.

Starting out in a modest space in Sungei Wang shopping mall, they have risen over the years to become one of Kuala Lumpur’s leading salons, often working on fashion shows and editorials. They are revered for their cuts, even offering a 7 day return policy if their clients want their looks rejigged. I liked the sound of that. They seemed pretty confident.

I reached out to their salon owner and told her I was looking for a bit of a makeover. I wanted to go blonde, not just the sunkissed look my hair currently had, but to make the radical change of becoming an out and out blonde. Blonde and Instagram goes hand in hand, right? 🙂

She knew exactly what I wanted. Next thing I knew I’m sipping tea in their trendy salon, with the very talented Mabel working on my locks. From 10am to 5pm I sat there. First was the highlights, then the treatment, the massage and after that, we had a little fun with a photoshoot. Mabel created three beautiful looks on my hair, one more gorgeous than the other, and their photographer captured them all for her incredible portfolio.

After my full day of complete pampering, I couldn’t have been happier with the beautiful job Mabel did on my hair. Not only did I have a beautiful style to leave their salon with, but the colour was perfect, exactly what I wanted. They really took the time to understand what I was looking for, and that is exactly what you want when looking for a new stylist.

If you’re in Kuala Lumpur, and you are looking to hit up the best salon in the city, check out Centro in Gardens, Mid Valley. They will not disappoint.

Rustic and stylishly chic, Number76 in Starhill Gallery is another salon with an exemplary reputation for all things hair. Originally hailing from Tokyo, Japan, Number76 has expanded to seven salon branches in total with five located in Malaysia and one in Singapore.

In desperate need of a touch up before my trip to Vietnam, I made an appointment with Yves, the Senior Director Stylist and Branch Manager of Number 76 in Starhill Gallery. The city centre location is perfect for me as Bukit Bintang is in close proximity to where I live and is easy to access via public transportation thanks to the MRT.

Walking through the luxurious Starhill Gallery, I found their salon on the Pamper floor. I was impressed with the decor, it was warehouse minimalist, yet with leather furnishings and modern touches. It felt like an artisan coffee shop I would like to while away my time in. Funnily enough, when I sat down I was promptly offered a menu of different kinds of coffees to choose from, and a variety of herbal teas.

Once I got settled in and had my coffee in hand, Yves came over and introduced himself and we discussed what I was wanted. Admittedly, I do get anxious about using a new stylist so I appreciated the time Yves spent with me to talk things through.

What I found very interesting, and very surprisingly is what Yves shared with me, which is a highlights touch up in Asia is not done the same way as it is in western countries. Highlights here are significantly less packed, and not done so close to the scalp. Totally different than what I would expect after being used to having all of my highlights done in Ireland.

Yves is a highly skilled stylist and knows how to manage the differing style expectations from both local and international cliental. I was really impressed with his meticulous attention to detail as he worked on my own hair. The ashy colour and the natural style turned out exactly how I wanted it to.

I must mention the hair treatment they used on my hair, called Global Milbon Smooth Hair Treatment. It was absolutely fantastic! I normally get a treatment after highlights but this one seems altogether different. More than a couple of washes later, my hair still feels like silk. It works on a three step process, first it smoothes the hair follicles, then infuses moisture within the hair and finally, the topcoat seals in the treatment for long lasting smoothness.

I was really impressed and if anyone wants to follow up their highlights with a Global Milbon Smooth Hair Treatment, the prices are as follows:

• RM170 (short hair)
• RM185 (medium hair, between jawline and collar bone)
• RM200 (long hair, pass collar bone)

The hair treatment is included in any colouring treatments at the salon, which is reason alone to choose this salon to style your hair. If you’re getting your highlights done, make sure you reserve Yves Chong at least once week in advance to tend to your precious locks. You can contact the salon to make an appointment at / 7076

Thank you to Centro Salon and Number 76 for inviting me to experience the treatments and services at their salon and sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.